By Julie Buehler
It’s true that too many cooks can spoil a broth, but one billionaire compiled the perfect recipe of vision, leaders and resources to transform the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens into a feast for sports fans.
Monday, March 3rd, the 2014 BNP Paribas will open its doors to more than 380,000 fans for the best tennis this planet has to offer. Each of the past few years, the tournament, considered the 5th Grand Slam event, has seen an increasing number of fans through the turnstiles and set new attendance records in 13 of its previous 14 years, last year included. As the tournament grew, it became clear there was were issues with serving it’s own popularity, including one instance that likely changed the course of Coachella Valley history.
When billionaire Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of software company Oracle, bought the BNP Paribas and the tennis gardens from a consortium of shareholders, tournament CEO, Ray Moore, told me how much easier running the tournament became. Rather than having 32 minds to corral into unison, Moore need only convince one: Ellison.
His new boss, a well-known sports fan and enthusiast, invited some friends to the Tennis Gardens in 2012 and unbeknownst to him, with the tournament sold out, Ellison’s friends were turned away. He approached Moore, who had plans in the works for years to expand, but did not have the resources to do so and after seeing Moore’s plans spilling over a 5-year period, Ellison asked, “Can we do this in 1 year?”
Moore and his architect affirmed they could.
The men all understood any mention of a “budget” would necessarily give way to the aggressive deadline and in 10 months and 10 days the new Stadium 2 was ready for full display to the media.
Gone were the days of piece-mealing ideas together, this game plan relied heavily on Ellison’s willingness to pay the way while Moore and his team paved the way for all the moving parts to work in unison. Tournament director Steve Simon said they were looking to not only add to the Tennis Gardens, but enhance the experience all around.
They added 417 palm trees, at $3,000 per, added tempered glass rather than railings to avoid obstructed views, refrigerated water fountains so those who bought large bottles could refill them and get back to their seats, they made the scaffoldings and trimmings look nearly identical and increased the technological capabilities for the whole venue to rival that of any tournament in the world.
The BNP Paribas is already a favorite of professional tennis players and with the Stadium 1 capacity of 16,100, is the 2nd largest tennis stadium on the planet, behind only Arthur Ashe Stadium, home of the US Open.
Additionally, the Stadium 2 renovation brought in new restaurants, Chop House, Piero’s PizzaVino and NoBu, all of local repute, not out-of-town chains, a new Tommy Bahamas-themed 19,000 square foot shade structure and viewing area and a vibe of that laid-back, sun-soaking fun that make the BNP Paribas one of the best events our valley hosts.
Had it not been for Ellison’s leadership, his trust in Moore and his team and his passion to provide the BNP Paribas with world-class sophistication, the tournament might still be limping along through an expansion project.
Instead, when the doors open on Monday, the restaurants will be humming, the turnstiles clicking and the special of the day will a feast for all sports fans.
BNP Paribas tickets are available at www.BNPParibasOpen.com.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010.com or watch the show on Ustream.
